Young stars shine brightly in New Zealand Schools Road Championships
The stars shone brightest in the tough conditions for the Points races on the third and final day of the Cycling New Zealand Schools Road National Championships in Manawatu.
Nine of the 12 titles today in the Points Races around the famed Manfeild motorsport circuit were claimed by the same riders who won the honours in their age groups in the individual road races on Sunday at nearby Colyton.
Nearly 600 riders from 84 schools took part in the 52nd annual schools’ championship that comprised team time trials on Saturday, individual road races on Sunday and the Points races on Monday.
It proved a triple treat for the double junior track world champion Laurence Pithie from Christchurch Boys High School who has quickly picked up his form on the road since his brilliant efforts on the track in Germany last month.
Pithie led Christchurch Boys to the narrowest of wins in the team time trial, where they edged Cambridge High by 0.3s, before edging under-19 national rep Xander White (Cambridge High) and fellow Madison world champion Kiaan Watts (Hamilton Boys) in a sprint finish in the road race.
Today there was more solid team work from his Christchurch Boys High teammates in the under-20 Points Race for Pithie to dominate the sprints with 12 points ahead of Watts and Jensen Foster (Saint Kentigern).
It was made doubly challenging as rain fell with the high winds for the boy’s race, which was reduced from 12 to seven laps.
“It was treacherous conditions so I went hard as I knew I could put some pressure on from the start,” said Pithie. “The Christchurch Boys High boys got around me towards the end and helped me bring it home.
“We started off the weekend taking home the gold in the team time trial which set-up the boys well and we were all in good spirits. And we had a couple of boys away in the break today – Griffin Spencer and Guy Yarrell – and it all played out well to bring it into a sprint on the final lap and I took it from there.”
At the other end of the spectrum was 13-year-old Ruby Spring from Saint Kentigern in Auckland, who also won the road race in a battle with Seana Gray (Cambridge High) in the under-15 road race on Sunday.
The pair shone out again in the Points race with Spring gaining the top honours with 15 points ahead of Gray with nine.
“I love cycling and loved this weekend,” said Spring. “My attitude was to just see what happened. Today we worked together in the winds. Our coach wants us to stay out of trouble and out of the wind and to do our best.
“We had three sprints today. I didn’t quite as hard in the beginning but got there in the end. I want to continue in the sport. It’s a lot of fun to ride with the girls from other schools and the girls in my age group from my school.”
The other double winners included Caoilinn Gray (Cambridge Middle) in the under 13, Mackenzie Barnett (Cambridge High) in under 14, and Maddi Douglas (Cambridge High) in the under 20 for the girls. The repeat winners in the boys comprised Jonny Barclay (Remuera Intermediate) in under 13, Hamish Banks (St Peters Cambridge) in under 15, Timaru’s Jaxson Whyte (Roncalli College) in under 16, Jack Carswell (Cambridge High) in under 17 and Pithie.
The other winners today included Jack Whittall (Cambridge High) in the under 14, Ally Gothard (Epsom Girls) in the under 16 and Prudence Fowler (Diocesan) in the under-17, adding to her national school and national age titles on the road.
Day 3 Results, Points races:
Females, under 13: Caoilinn Gray (Cambridge Middle) 10 points, 1; Piper Russell (Cambridge Middle) 6, 2; Freya Holland (Baradene) 3, 3. Under 14: Mackenzie Barnett (Cambridge High) 12 points, 1; Esther Carr (Takapuna Grammar) 5, 2; Sophia Hyland (Baradene) 5, 3. Under 15: Ruby Spring (Saint Kentigern) 15 points, 1; Seana Gray (Cambridge High) 9, 2; Maia Barclay (Epsom Girls) 6, 3. Under 16: Ally Gothard (Epsom Girls) 15 points, 1; Arabella Tuck (Diocesan) 9, 2; Keisha Anderson (Cambridge High) 7, 3. Under 17: Prudence Fowler (Diocesan School) 18 points, 1; Jorja Clouth (Baradene) 11, 2; Ashleigh Gunn (Palmerston North Girls) 7, 3. Under 20: Maddi Douglas (Cambridge High) 14 points, 1; Charlotte Worley (Villa Maria) 10, 2; Jorja Swain (Whangarei Girls) 6, 3.
Males, under 13: Jonny Barclay (Remuera Intermediate) 10 points, 1; Thomas Dolan (St Peters Akld) 5 points, 2; Joshua Rowe (Cambridge Middle) 5, 3. Under 14: Jack Whittall (Cambridge High) 12 points, 1; Frankie Wright (St Peters Camb) 11, 2; Nate Boness (Auckland Grammar) 5, 3. Under 15: Hamish Banks (St Peters Camb) 15 points, 1; Maui Morrison (Cambridge High) 6, 2; Nick Rush (Rolleston) 6, 3. Under 16: Jaxson Whyte (Roncalli) 13 points, 1; August Elworthy (Takapuna Grammar) 8, 2; Jaxson Russell (Cambridge High) 6, 3. Under 17: Jack Carswell (Cambridge High) 14 points, 1; Jacob Rackham (Auckland Grammar) 8, 2; Cody Boness (Auckland Grammar) 5, 3. Under 20: Laurence Pithie (Christchurch Boys) 12 points, 1; Kiaan Watts (Hamilton Boys) 5, 2; Jensen Foster (Saint Kentigern) 5, 3.
CAPTION: Ruby Spring from Saint Kentigern College, Auckland in action on the way to winning the under 15 Points Race at the Cycling New Zealand Schools Road National Championships. (Photo credit: Grant Harris).
DETAILS: https://schools.cyclingnewzealand.nz